The Shepherd’s Voice

The scene: a sheep ranch in Argentina. The players: six sheep and . . . me. The action: I lean over the gate of the sheep’s small enclosure and speak in soothing tones. “Hello, little sheep,” I coo. “How are you today?” Their response: panic. Bleating, trembling, huddling together.

In today’s Gospel, the Shepherd says His sheep know His voice and will run away from strangers. Those sheep in Argentina realized I was a stranger — something they couldn’t have recognized without knowing their shepherd’s voice. So, too, with us. We’re pummeled with strangers’ voices via TV, radio, the Internet, cell phones. Volume and intensity can drown out the voice of our Shepherd. To hear and recognize His voice, we need silence. Let’s try that today—perhaps just ten minutes. Those moments will give Jesus a chance to speak and be heard.